Thread: What´s the most important question one can ask ?

what is the most important question you would ask, if you had to choose one ?

Whether to commit suicide.

Originally Posted by Original Poster

Whether to commit suicide.

Mine is actually really similar to this.

Continue living or die?

It's not really even about hating life or life being shit or anything. It's just, it's hard to say if life is worth living. In death is there a possible for a more meaningful way of existing, whether or not that includes being conscious or even being what can be recognized beyond particles or simple matter? I don't know which, but the reason I choose to stay alive is only because I will certainly die one day. I could not imagine living forever. If we developed a technology to allow us to live forever or even significantly longer (1000 years, etc), would I ever want to willingly use this technology? Personally I say no, but of course given it does not yet exist I can't say for certain.

Originally Posted by VagalTone

What´s the most important question one can ask?

That one.

But why!?



Okay, I guess that was not taking the question really seriously. But, most likely, it would take me years from now to come up with the perfect question to ask. In the mean time, I hope to be able to ask a lot of less-than-perfect questions.

Originally Posted by Voldmer

But why!?

Because to know the most important question that can be asked, one must first ask what it is. All of the most important questions that can be asked can only be found through the question of what the most important question is.

Originally Posted by Universal Mind

Because to know the most important question that can be asked, one must first ask what it is. All of the most important questions that can be asked can only be found through the question of what the most important question is.

I completely agree with that. My "But why!?" was meant to be the ultimate question. Or - a stand-in for the ultimate question.

Originally Posted by Universal Mind

Because to know the most important question that can be asked, one must first ask what it is. All of the most important questions that can be asked can only be found through the question of what the most important question is.

If it's truly most important to know what's most important. This assumes essence before existence, it assumes value. Before questions related to the value of life can be asked, one must first ask whether or not to accept life at all. So I stand by my "answer."

i think i would ask is there life after death

Originally Posted by sleepysam

i think i would ask is there life after death

You could upgrade that question to:

"how can I achieve life after death?". If there wasn't life after death, you would get that answer. If there was, you may need to do something in order to achieve it, so you want to play safe man, you only got one question!

My question:

"What's my true name?" (Eragon readers will understand )

Where's the bathroom?

Who am I?
at least it seems to me, the most important one, and the only one we can ever really know the answer to.

which one takes more courage , giving up that takes one second or keep hoping that takes a lifetime, living with the weight of the burden of my lost contentment or dying accepting my defeat which one is the key to my much needed liberty.

I believe the philosopher Martin Heidegger thought the most important question one could ask was:

"Why is there something rather than nothing?"

I myself believe the most important question one can ask is what Pilate asked Jesus Christ, in John 18:38:

Quid est veritas? - What is truth?

Originally Posted by Noogah

"Why is there something rather than nothing?"

That's my favorite question. The best answers are really trippy, but they all have holes in them. I don't think anybody has ever given a fully satisfactory answer to the question.

What should I do?

Such would depend entirely upon how the answer were to be given..

With words...

Or

Direct transmission of knowledge, the tasting thereof by oneself

Why should I live?

"poo-tee-weet?"

I'm horribly split between asking:

What is the truth?
And,
What should I ask?

I could always be sneaky and combine them with an "and" in the sentence, making it effectively one question, but that seems to go against the nature of the thread.

what am I?

Originally Posted by VagalTone

what is the most important question you would ask, if you had to choose one ?

Originally Posted by Universal Mind

That one.

I got to agree with Universal Mind.
Very good thread-idea VagalTone!!

Originally Posted by Nhuc

Who am I?
at least it seems to me, the most important one, and the only one we can ever really know the answer to.

Originally Posted by StonedApe

what am I?

I like StonedApe´s question more - it seems to reach further - what am I is more basic than who am I.

Originally Posted by Noogah

I believe the philosopher Martin Heidegger thought the most important question one could ask was:

"Why is there something rather than nothing?"

I myself believe the most important question one can ask is what Pilate asked Jesus Christ, in John 18:38:

Quid est veritas? - What is truth?

Very good questions - the first one, though - I would postpone for egocentric reasons.
The second one is hiding behind all questions - should be maybe asked first - but I would opt out of it for first - egocentric once more.

Original Poster has touched on mine above - just - I would say, that I already know, that I value life as basis. So I do not ask - Do I value life? - Yepp - I do. But I am not clear on why I do.
My first question would be:

What do I value in life?


This one might be second and does encompass Universal Mind´s question - what should I ask is also what should I do:

Originally Posted by lucidboy

What should I do?

By the way - I believe the following could work - I read somebody talk about his introspection practice.
Choosing around 5 questions concerning the way I think, ca. 5 about my behaviour - and he added ca. 5 questions in spiritual context.
I think, I am able to ask something, which would fall into the third category in some way - but leave out any beliefs in the supernatural.
Like how can I develop equanimity - how kindness, how acceptance of myself and others..

But to start with - rather take something easy, not overly complex or challenging. Just little things at first.

Write them down and read through them at a set time every day - read them several times and only concentrate on that.
Do it ten days - see what shows up.

Worth a go.
Esp. if you do connect it with dreaming..

Very important questions, guys. I would like to know all the answers of course. But i can only ask once

A very tricky and vague question, if not cheatful way to solve this «lots of questions problem», would be to ask « can you explain everything to me ? », but i would need an omniscient entity.

I agree with StephL that « what am i ? » is more fundamental than « who am i ?». Btw, very nice thread review StephL !

And i also like lucidboy suggestion « what should i do ? » - but i would prefer to know some fundamental thing, and then choose what to do.

Originally Posted by VagalTone

Very important questions, guys. I would like to know all the answers of course. But i can only ask once

A very tricky and vague question, if not cheatful way to solve this «lots of questions problem», would be to ask « can you explain everything to me ? », but i would need an omniscient entity.

I agree with StephL that « what am i ? » is more fundamental than « who am i ?». Btw, very nice thread review StephL !

And i also like lucidboy suggestion « what should i do ? » - but i would prefer to know some fundamental thing, and then choose what to do.

Thank you!
Problem with your "can you explain.." question is - it is a yes/no answer.
If you had an omniscient being - and it is somehow bound to the unclear principle of truthfulness and to the letter-answering - you would be utterly disappointed with a "Yes!" but now asking time is over.. tongue.gif

The fundamental thing, I prefer to know before pondering what to do - is:
What are my values?
This can in a way answer who I am - but not what I am.
Finding out what I am, is maybe a worthy goal - following the basis, that I value insight into how conscious life came about, developed - and where it stands in the cosmos.
Most else will follow the values then - my goals in life - my visions - planning - methods - reflection - whatever.
And these values need to be regularly reconsidered and adapted, I think.

Just dreaming, of how I could go about this question-business - if only I knew much more..wink.gif

I got an audience with "it" when I was 16 (1976).

I said "This is Truth"

It said "No, this is not Truth"

Then wordlessly "it" communicated that I was in truth a moment ago but truth doesn't fit into memory banks.

I said "I am God"

It said "No you are not God"

Then, quietly added, "I am"

All my concepts were shattered.

I had been practicing a path, including an hour of listening to my breathing for an hour (crosslegged on the floor) as soon as I woke and before I went to bed.

I believed the purpose was to merge with Truth and become God. Now "it" had happened but ...

So then I said to my self THE BIG QUESTION:

What's the purpose (?)

And "it's" reply knocked my socks off.

There is something better than merging with Truth and becoming God.

IT said:

"I brought you into being to serve you (debbie).

And

"You" (debbie) are all there is (to me) in the universe. Everything else is Me loving and serving you (debbie).

That was "it's" reply to my innocent question of "What's the Purpose"